A bill that would expand the legal rights of federal investigators to inform local and state police of unfit individuals attempting to buy guns was reintroduced in the U.S. House Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, D-7 of Chadds Ford, and Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., introduced the NICS Denial Notification Act, which they said could help stop gun crimes before they occur.

“Using every tool at our disposal to ensure law enforcement is notified when a criminal attempts to buy a gun is a common-sense step to mitigate the gun violence epidemic that plagues our nation and wreaks havoc right in our own backyards,” Quigley said in a statement.

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993 mandated federal background checks in purchasing firearms, but it did not act as an alert system to local police departments when a convicted felon tried to purchase a gun.

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Prohibited persons are those who have served jail time, documented drug use, restraining order for harassment, committed to a mental institution or dishonorably discharged from the armed forces.

“When a felon or otherwise-prohibited person is trying to obtain a gun, that’s something law enforcement should be aware of – it may be an indication of plans for a future crime. This is a common-sense step we can take to help our law enforcement personnel prevent gun crimes before they happen,” Meehan said.

On April 11, 2015, at a Columbia, S.C., gun store, Dylann Roof filled out a background check application for a .45 caliber Glock pistol. The authorization process raised red flags by the FBI, which did not give Shooter’s Choice authorization to complete the sale. But Roof bought the pistol three days later after the hold period had expired, well before the FBI investigation had determined he should not be allowed to buy a gun.

Roof killed nine African-American congregants at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston 67 days later.

In Pennsylvania, the 15-day hold period mandated by the state would have stopped the sale in time. However, under the proposed bill, the FBI will be able to inform local and state police that a restricted individual was able to purchase a firearm.

There are two systems in Pennsylvania for gun dealers to run background checks — the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which allows gun dealers to delay a request for purchase for three days, and the state Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), which allows dealers to hold a sale for 15 days.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police website, PICS operates a call center where gun dealers request background checks. Approximately 60 percent of the individuals attempting to purchase a firearm are approved within five minutes.

Those who raise red flags are referred over to the PICS Challenge Unit, which runs a more detailed background check over the more reasonable 15-day period.

However, by Pennsylvania law, “no record information may be disseminated as a result of the background check. If a record is identified on an individual’s background check, the call is transferred to an operator. The operator then reviews the record, and if it is not prohibiting, approves the sale.”

The new bill on the federal level will supersede those state restrictions by enabling federal investigators to contact local and state law enforcement to “decide whether to pursue criminal charges, initiate investigations, or keep an eye on these individuals for signs of future criminal activity.”

“By strengthening partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement, we can create an additional layer of protection to ensure weapons stay out of the hands of the wrong people – from felons and domestic abusers to the mentally ill,” Quigley said.

Pennsylvania is one of eight states that have passed stricter laws against “lie-and-try” activity, which is when a person denied the purchase of a firearm will go to a private dealer and buy a gun with false information.

Dan Muroff, the former president of CeaseFirePA and one of several Democratic candidates for Meehan’s 7th District seat, said the bill is a move in the right direction.

“This bill is fine, it’s but it’s a baby step. (Meehan) hasn’t criticized the NRA in the aftermath of recent mass shootings. I will fight for assault rifle bans,” Muroff said.

His democratic opponents for the nomination in the 7th District were asked Tuesday night at the Media VFW how they would act on gun reform if given the opportunity in the U.S. House.

“It may be counterintuitive, but most members of the NRA are more interested in gun safety than people who don’t have guns,” said Drew McGinty, a self-proclaimed gun owner and target shooter. “If we go and extend an open arm we don’t confront them with the words ‘gun control’ and have them raise their shields, we go in there and say, ‘Let’s have a common sense discussion and figure out one thing at a time.’”

“You can have a safe, sensible gun law that protects us from a guy going into a hotel with 20 semi-automatic weapons,” said candidate Elizabeth Moro.

The bioengineer Molly Sheehan offered the idea of a regulated gun community where members police themselves in addition to the state and federal checks. “When we see these horrific actions ... usually someone from their own community knew something was wrong. I’m a big proponent of using the second half of the 2nd Amendment, which is that it’s a well-regulated militia. Perhaps we should have militias that register its own people so that there’s always a second person that says, ‘I agree this person can have a gun, I know them, they’re in my community,’” Sheehan said.

Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17 of Lower Merion, touted his “F” rating from the NRA and referenced a state law, Act 192, which allowed the NRA or any gun owner to sue municipalities over gun ordinances. Leach sued and the Commonwealth Court ruled it was unconstitutional.

“There are some things we desperately need to do. One gun a month stops straw purchasers, because they buy 40 guns a month and flood the streets with cheap guns. We need to limit the size of the magazines. We should do lost and stolen, so you can’t just a give them away … (There are) things we can do to make our society safer.”